Five Games to Teach Telling Time

When I went to my first grader’s orientation at school, I was surprised to hear that their new district-wide math curriculum did not include life skills like telling time. So I knew I had to bump time telling up on my list of things to teach my kids.

I was really excited to have a little help in that area when I received the Ready, Set, Tell Time! activity set in the mail. I was surprised to find that what I expected to be just a simple learning clock, was actually a bunch of time telling games in one set. I loved how versatile the set’s pieces were in making up time telling games and activities.

Here are 5 ways you can teach time telling with Ready, Set, Tell Time!

Around the Puzzle Clock Game. As you move the little hand to each hour around the learning clock, have your child find the corresponding numbers and place them in the clock puzzle. This was a great way for my 3 year old to practice her number recognition, too!

Time Punch Clock Game. My kids loved punching out the number pieces on the sturdy cardboard clock puzzle. Call out a time and have your child punch out the corresponding hour on the clock puzzle.

Silly Scheduled Day Game. Put the daily activity pieces (breakfast, get dressed, play outside, take a bath, etc.) in a silly order on the daily schedule mat. Read through the silly schedule with your child. Have your child unscramble the daily activities and put them into correct order on the daily schedule mat.

Time Telling Matching Game. Lay the digital time flash cards face up in a random grid pattern on the table. Show your child a clock flash card and let them find the matching digital time flash card. Put the digital time flash card aside and repeat until all have been matched.

Slap the Time Game. Spread the clock flash cards out face up on the table or floor. Call out a time and have your child quickly slap the corresponding clock flash card. Repeat by calling out various times.

Do your kids know how to tell time yet? How did they learn?

ALEX has an entire line of preschool learning games specifically designed to help little ones get prepared for their first day of preschool!